paying tribute to at his inauguration this week, just as he did at his inauguration in 2009. it was not until world war ii was over in 194 that president harry truman issued an executive order to desegregate the united states armed forces by race. nonwhite service members had been there all along. they had just never been treated equally. president truman ordered that to change. and it was not easy, and it was not even, but it was 1948. and the military having an overt policy of desegregation as of 1948 was a groundbreaking thing, not just for the military, but for our country. and in that same year of racial integration, in 1948, it's pretty much long forgotten, but in that same year in 1948, the congress also passed the women's armed services integration act. 1948. there had been of course the wac, the women's army corps and the marine corps women's reserve there had been a coast guard women's reserve group. but in 1948, the year truman said the military would be racially integrated, women would too. they wouldn't be in a lady's auxiliary to the unit, they would just be in